Find My, previously known as Find My iPhone, is one of the oldest and essential features of iPhones, iPads, and several other Apple devices, which can help track your device from anywhere, either online or using another Apple device. Find My allows you to locate your device and lock or erase all of the data in that device.
While the Find My feature on your iPhone or iPad is enabled as soon as you sign in using an Apple ID, if for some reason it isn’t, or you switched it off and can’t figure out how to turn it back on, check out our article here that’ll guide through the process of turning on Find My iPhone/iPad.
In this article, we’ll tell you how to use Find My to track your iPhone or iPad using another Apple device or via your iCloud account online.
How to track your iPhone or iPad using Find My on another Apple device?
Open the Find My app on any other Apple device you may have that uses the same Apple ID as the device you’re trying to locate, and follow the steps mentioned below to track your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on the Devices option from the tabs at the bottom of the app. All your devices with Find My enabled will be listed here.
- Select the device you want to track. You can swipe up to see a list of all the devices.
On the next page, you’ll see a couple of options that’ll help you locate your device: Play Sound, Directions, Mark As Lost and Erase this Device. Below we’ve explained each of them to help you better understand which will suit your needs the best, depending on your situation.
- Play sound: If you see your device in the vicinity using the map, tap on the Play Sound option to make your device chime. If you’re sure your iPhone or iPad is somewhere in your home but can’t find it, this option is your best bet.
- Get directions: If the device is afar, tap on the Directions option and follow the instructions on the map to find your device.
- Lock the device: If your device is in a completely unknown location, you can tap on the Activate link below Mark As Lost, which will lock your device and display a message with contact details in case someone finds the phone. However, the missing device should be connected to the internet to activate this feature.
- Erase your iPhone: Erase this Device feature can be used if you think your iPhone is lost and your chances of finding it are close to zero. Note that enabling this feature means you won’t be able to track your device any more.
Also read: How to turn off Find My iPhone on iOS 13?
How to track your iPhone or iPad using iCloud online?
Go to iCloud.com or icloud.com/find on any web browser and follow the steps below to find your iPhone or iPad online.
Step 1: Sign in to your iCloud account by entering your Apple ID and Password.
Step 2: A pop-up window will appear, notifying you about a sign-in to a new device. At the bottom of the box, click on the Allow button.
Step 3: It will display a two-factor authentication (verification) code you’ll need to enter in the next step. Either memorise or take notes and click on the Done button.
Step 4: Enter the verification code, and it will automatically take you to your iCloud account.
Step 5: Click on the Find iPhone option to take you to the Find My tool. (You wouldn’t see this step if you directly went to icloud.com/find).
Step 6: Click on All devices on the top bar and select the device you want to track.
Step 7: You will now see your device on the map. You’ll also find Play Sound, Lost Mode and Erase iPhone options near the top-right of the screen. For each of these options, what you need to do to make them work and how they work has been explained below.
Playing sound in Find My iPhone
You can click on Play Sound if you know your device is nearby or even inside your house or office, but you can’t pinpoint where. This option will play a beeping or chiming sound to help you locate the device.
Also read: How to enable or disable auto-brightness in iOS 13?
Using Lost Mode in Find My iPhone
Choosing Lost Mode will lock your device and display a message with the contact details you provide, which is particularly useful if someone finds the device and wants to contact you.
If you choose Lost Mode, you’ll see a new page in the same box where you’ll need to enter an alternative number where you can be reached (and which will be displayed on the device’s display). Then click on the Next button.
Your iPhone will now be locked, and a message (as shown in the screenshot below) will display on the device.
Also read: How to find the MAC address on iPhone and iPad?
Erasing iPhone data using Find My
If you think you cannot locate your device and it is lost for good, you can erase all the data on your iPhone remotely by clicking on Erase iPhone.
A pop-up window will appear to confirm whether or not you want all the iPhone data erased. If you’re sure about your decision, click on the Erase option. Note that once you’ve deleted the iPhone data, you won’t be able to track it anymore.
